michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 OK, so I am 18, a car salesman, I make 8 grand a month. I have a minolta maxxum htsi plus that I have been using for awhile, however I would like to purchase a new camera now and I don't know which one to get. OK I sound like a newb, but anyhow I know that I really like the Elan 7N, nikon is out of the question, so is Minolta, although the maxxum 7 is nice, I want to know about Contax. I heard they use the best glass, and they are like the underappreciated underdog that is better then the rest? What do you guys know about Contax. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_peters1 Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Save your money for college. Selling cars is nice, but few can really make a career out of it. Seriously. Get the money while you can, but live like you work at McDonalds - and save for college. With an MBA your current sales job will look like peanuts. And even if you do stay in car sales, an MBA is how you move up to the good positions where you make 8 grand a week for looking pretty while pretending to actually do stuff. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
yakim_peled1 Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 I think it's an excellent advice. Happy shooting , Yakim. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie_cheung Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 You should really do reserach on what you want to photograph before jumping into a system or format. Every system have good and bad points. For instance, contax MAY have better glass but it is much more limited in the lens selection than say nikon or canon and their AF "N" system is dying out fast if not dead yet. Most medium format systems will blow away 35mm in the enlargement department. Get my drift? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbq Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 What's wrong with your current camera? Are you sure that switching to Canon or Contax will fix that problem? All brands have some amazing glass if you want to pay for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cole_petersburg Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 I have a Contax lens on a Yashica body because it's great for manual focus, manual exposure, and it's a cheap combination. It doesn't seem right for you.<BR> Why do you need the best glass? If you're just getting 4x6 digital drugstore prints, you don't need nice glass. You don't need a camera which is appreciated.<BR> Contax bodies don't seem to be popular. Chicken + egg. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Author Share Posted August 12, 2004 Aww... At first you guys started to irritate me. But I realized I didn't give enough information. I just gave a straight up question to recieve a straight up response. The Minolta Maxxum HTsi Plus has incredibly slow AF. No mirror lock-up. Incredibly cheap body. Poor viewfinder. And the list goes on. I love Canon's availability of glass, the l series lens are affordable and great. The Elan 7N is superb. I just recently started looking at the Contax, and I always had a problem with supporting the underdog, so if the Contax is a good well built well preforming camera I would deffinately go for it, I don't really need a great selection in glass, Just maybe a 50mm 1.4, 70-200mm, 400 or 500mm. So if you could, what do you guys know about Contax. I don't just print "4x6" prints, I make about 1200 to 1500 a month from selling my prints, none ussually over 20x30 through. I was thinking about going to 645... What is the best 645 or other type of medium format that I could get. And whats the best valued set up. I am ok with getting used equiptment, I have a 1981 Chinon CE-5 that is built like a tank and is better then any new camera I've had. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
signguy_4u Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Lets see, your 18 and make $8,000.00 a month selling cars and another $1,500.00 on photos, with that kind of money get one of each. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie_cheung Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Yeah get one of each and return ones you dislike. Problem solved:O) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Author Share Posted August 12, 2004 IIIIEEEE! Can someone just answer my question please? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leslie_cheung Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 You are asking too vague of a question. Contax have a long history. There's a contax N af 35mm system, a contax 645 system, a contax manual 35mm system, a older contax rf system, contax G system and probably some I didn't mention. Hm...then there's MF and digital. Go do some reading, then come back and ask something more specific. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Author Share Posted August 12, 2004 Whats the contax equivalent to a canon's 1vhs and elan 7n Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_hohner Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 To answer your question: Your problem is that you're dissatisfied with the body. The solution is to get a better body. Get the Maxxum 7. Done. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalirony Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 This is probably a bit of a vague answer and does not directly answer your question, but it is the best advice that I can give. Michael what kind of photographs are you taking/selling? For scenes where fast autofocus isn't required but maximum quality is a Medium Format system might be what you are after. There are a number of medium format cameras that will give you excellent results, mamiya RB67, Hasselblad 501CM, Bronica SQ-Ai, etc. These will give you the option of shooting 6x7, 6x6, 6x6 or 6x4.5 which wil give you superior enlargements over the 35mm, film format. You could use these for landscapes & studio work, If you are shooting sports or wildlife however a fast autofocus system will probably be what you need. Something like the canon EOS3 with PB-E2 and a couple of fast telephoto primes like the 300 f/2.8 LIS, 400 f/4.0 LIS & the 500 f/4.0 LIS would probably be what you want. Another body like the 7NE with a 70-200 f/2.8 LIS USM in the bag as well would probably be a good idea. Oh and don't forget a good monopod or tripod, depending on where wuou are and what you are shooting. If you are shooting street stuff then a quality reangefinder would probably be less obtrusive than an SLR but your reach would be limited, however the quality of glass available would be limited only by your budget. If you are making money from your photography and are reasonably sure that you will continue to do so, then any equipment you buy will be an investment in that income stream. Most systems with interchangable lenses will have quality glass available (at a price). Buy the equipment that best suits your style of photography and that you feel the most comfortable using. Try before you buy when you can. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
digitalirony Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Forgot to say that when you are looking for a new system, the equipment doesn't have to be new. There is an awful lot of good second hand equipment out there if you look for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jim_gifford Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Michael, you could get the Contax 645 autofocus system. Honestly, though, you asked for the Contax equivalent of cameras like the Canon Elan 7n and Contax just doesn't have a particularly close cousin to that one. I think you will find that the reason most Contax lovers ARE Contax lovers is the assortment of precision manual focus lenses. People love Canon Elan bodies for the autofocus wizardry and the extensive line of USM autofocus lenses and image stabilization. Both systems are great, but they are not easily compared. The Contax Aria is a terrific instrument. Gieve it a look. The Contax RTS series is (like the Olympus OM4 and Leica R8) a fabulously engineered answer to a question almost nobody was asking. If you are one of the few, the faithful, an RTSIII is just the thing. You sell cars... do you love cars, too? The RTSIII and the Olympus and Leica manual focus bodies are like the Avanti or Aston Martin or Lamborghini. Canon and Nikon are like Honda and Toyota (if that sounds too ordinary, okay, think of Canon and Nikon as Mercedes and BMW instead). Have a look at the Aria and the RTSIII and see if either appeals to you. Be well, Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rj Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Hi Michael, www[dot]contaximages[dot]com is Richard Sintchak's private Contax gallery. There are links to other related Contax boards on his website. It takes a lot of courage and foresight to choose a camera from a niche film based-camera maker, especially at 18, when listening to advice is a hard enough task. If you choose to use Contax, look forward to seeing you there. Best wishes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eoghan Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Michael, you seem frustrated by people giving you 'life advice.' But in all fairness to them, you started your post with: 'OK, so I am 18, a car salesman, I make 8 grand a month...' If you own a dealership, fine. If you're based in Vegas, fine. But nowhere else in the country do car salesmen make 100K a year. People were bound to ask questions. -e And sorry i don't know much about contax or MF. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stwrtertbsratbs5 Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Michael, I can actually answer your question! I own a Contax N1 with the 24-85mm zoom. Most people look toward Contax because of the Zeiss lenses, which are absolutely fantastic. But the camera bodies are excellent, too. Great build quality and the ergonomics are superb. And you can "switch" from autofocus to manual focus by just turning the focus ring on the lens barrel. But see for yourself. Go into a camera shop and hold an N1 in your hands. That's when you will know if it's the camera for you. I'm actually going to sell my N1 soon - I've been seduced by a vintage Contax rangefinder (a IIIa that was built around 1960). I thought about keeping it, but I'm collecting too much equipment. And I also want to move back into medium format (a manual focus Mamiya 645 Pro body and lenses because the prices are really low and the lenses are really good). Fun hobby. But save a few bucks for an MBA, too! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jbq Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Michael: -Please don't be too impatient with us. It's hard to give a precise answer quickly without knowing the constraints. -Contax most probably makes excellent cameras and excellent lenses. But if you're considering such a purchase, you can quickly argue that Canon does too. A Contax NX with a 50/1.4 costs as much as an EOS 3 with a 50/1.4, and a Contax N1 with the same 50/1.4 costs as much as an EOS 1V with the same 50/1.4. Very personally, I'd go for Canon if the choice was between Contax and Canon. -Unless you have virtually no investment in Minolta glass, switching away from Minolta doesn't sound like a great idea. You can simply get a higher end Minolta body as your primary body, and keep the current one as a backup. -Since film is very often the limiting factor in image quality, and since you seem to be selling large prints, medium format actually sounds like a great idea, at least when shooting "normal" lenses. $800 will buy you a new Mamiya 645 with a film back and a normal lens. This will get better results than any lens on 35mm. Pushing the envelope further, $2100 will buy you a new Pentax 67 with normal lens. Once again, serious improvement in quality. And you can keep going like that: $1300 will buy you a new 4x5 camera with a new 150mm lens: once you've seena 4x5 slide, you won't want to go back. As a summary, my advice would be: -stick to Minolta unless you really have no serious Minolta glass. -if there's one lens from Canon or Nikon that you have to have and that Minolta doesn't offer, get a cheap body just for that specific lens. -for "normal angle" photography, step up to larger formats. Even though 50mm are usually the best lenses for 35mm film, they get slaughtered in side-by-side comparisons with larger pieces of film. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Author Share Posted August 12, 2004 Heh, another salesman where I work, he helped me out when I got there, I would "turn" many sales to him, "OK, before you leave let me get you my card" even though I have it in my pocket, I walk inside, and get Rick, tell him about you, and then he goes out there and sells you a car before you can drive off. He makes around 140K a year... Average car salesman makes anywhere from 30-80 grand a year, a good one can make 80-120 easily. ANYHOW... The N1 is the camera I am deffinately going to go with. But the glass is more expensive then the camera lol... and I know what I said, but just because I make money, I am still going to cringe at 3000 for a 400mm f4 lens... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Author Share Posted August 12, 2004 O btw, my minolta glass consists of a quantaray 70-300 mm f4-5.6 lens lol... HUGE investment. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_hohner Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 How about that: Minolta Maxxum 7, Minolta 400/4.5 APO G, Minolta 50/1.4, Minolta 70-200/2.8 APO G SSM (or 80-200/2.8 APO G). These are some of the finest lenses and one of the finest bodies for the 35mm format. Compare that to the Contax N system, also pricewise. Then decide. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
frank uhlig Posted August 12, 2004 Share Posted August 12, 2004 Michael, with your experience, desires, and cash flow, I would advise you to look for the very best: go to www.sinar.ch and check out their system. 3 months worth of your income will get you the Sinar P3 camera, a beaut!; a couple of months later you can afford their 80MB digital back, then a G4 quadruple processor Mac with 8GB of RAM, and so forth. Here is the answer to your problem in a nutshell. And I assure you, you will never look back! Sinar is what I would want if I could. But I simply enjoy my F100 anyway. Good luck! And elt us know when you learn and perfect their simple tilt/swing ... mechanisms and get your first stunning results, please. Truely amazing stuff what Sinar builds! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
michael_ney Posted August 12, 2004 Author Share Posted August 12, 2004 heck with the p3, I want the Sinar M.. omg.. drooling Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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